![]() There is an antidote, Andexxa, that almost instantly reverses the effects of Eliquis. "We can't do surgery for 48 hours with someone who's on Eliquis."Įliquis and blood thinners like it, Joanne said she was told, stay in the body for about that long, and if a person were to go into surgery while using a blood thinner, he or she would bleed out on the table. ![]() "We can't do surgery," Joanne remembers the doctor saying. When the doctor asked if Phil was on a blood thinner, and Phil confirmed that he was on Eliquis, a new-era direct oral anticoagulant used to prevent blood clots, Joanne said the doctor's face dropped. Joanne was initially most concerned about the surgery, but then the true gravity of Phil's situation became even clearer. Treatment typically requires emergency surgery. The doctor explained to Joanne that Phil had experienced an aortic dissection, a rare and often deadly event in which the innermost layer of the aorta tears, allowing blood to surge through the wound and causing the inner and middle layers of the aorta to separate. The doctor told Joanne that he only wished that were the case. As a cardiologist looked over Phil's records, Joanne asked if her husband had had a heart attack. Everything started to feel a lot more serious. Phil was totally cognizant and told Joanne about the pain he felt in his back and running down the side of his neck, symptoms that seemed to align with what Joanne knew about heart attacks.īut when Phil's doctors came back with the CT scan, their moods had shifted. When Joanne made it to French Hospital, she said she was led to a room where Phil was hooked up to all kinds of machines and tubes and awaiting a CT scan, which she was told would determine whether he'd really had a heart attack. Soon Philip was strapped into an ambulance and on his way to French Hospital Medical Center, where first responders said he would receive the most specialized cardiac care the Central Coast has to offer. Joanne called 911 and almost immediately an emergency fire crew was at their Patricia Drive home, a somewhat secluded and modern house nestled against the northeastern face of Bishop Peak. when Phil got back home and only minutes later that he called his wife into the kitchen and said, "Joanne, I think I'm having a heart attack." Once Phil returned home, he made lunch for himself and Joanne-he was often the one in charge of prepping breakfast and lunch-and after that, he did some work in his office, then briefly laid down for a little rest, and went out and ran a few errands later in the afternoon. He took the family dog-still just a puppy-to a training class and sent silly photos of the dog playing to his daughter. Phil woke up early and went for a ride on his bicycle. 19, 2019.Īccording to Phil's wife, Joanne Ruggles, that day started off much like any other. He took care of himself, so it was all the more shocking to his family when everything so quickly unravelled on Oct. He monitored his blood pressure and never missed a day's dose of medication or a checkup with his doctor. ![]() Phil stayed fit through a healthy diet and consistent exercise. He approached his own health the same way. In the classroom, he was pragmatic, voraciously curious, and boundlessly devoted to his students. ![]() Nearly 34 years of teaching sales, estimating, marketing, and pricing in Cal Poly's graphic communication department left Philip with a propensity for organization and a keen eye for detail. Phil died a little more than a year later, after having an aortic dissection, a highly fatal event that couldn't be properly treated because he was on a blood thinner. ![]() YIN AND YANG Philip and Joanne Ruggles smile at their surprise 50th wedding anniversary party in August 2018. ![]()
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